City Center Market in Cambridge marked a milestone Wednesday morning as the community gathered to celebrate the grand opening of their long‑awaited expansion and remodel. The excitement started early — the very first customer arrived at 6:15 AM, and within 15 minutes the line stretched halfway around the south side of the building. By the time the doors opened at 7:00, it reached the end of the building, down the parking lot and nearly reached Highway 95.
General Manager John Kenny welcomed the crowd with a reflection on City Center Market’s 47‑year journey. What began as a modest storefront in Grandy has grown through several chapters: a move to the former strip mall on Cambridge’s east side, a major relocation to their current location and rebrand from MOM’s Co-op in 2007, and now this transformative expansion. Kenny thanked the store’s customers, community owners, dedicated employees, numerous business sponsors (listed on their website), First Bank & Trust, and their supportive neighbors at Scout & Morgan Books. He also offered special recognition to longtime General Manager Gayle Cupit, who came out of retirement to serve as Fundraising Project Manager, which has been invaluable to the expansion. The North 65 Chamber of Commerce hosted the ribbon‑cutting ceremony, officially ushering in this new era.
The remodel is nothing short of dramatic — the store has nearly tripled in size, now spanning over 14,000 square feet. The construction added a significantly expanded produce department, a brand‑new seating area, updated bathrooms, a new conference room, noticeably wider aisles, and more.
For those unfamiliar with City Center Market, it’s far more than a traditional grocery store. It’s a full‑service food cooperative (co-op) committed to organic produce and natural foods, much of it sourced from local producers such as Sunrise Flour Mill in North Branch and One Last Cup in Isanti. As a co-op, City Center Market is owned by thousands of local residents. This business model keeps grocery dollars circulating right here in our community. Ownership isn’t required to shop, but it does come with added benefits such as discounts and potential dividends. Speaking personally, I’m not an owner myself, and most of my previous visits have been for lunch or coffee. But even with that limited perspective, it was impossible to miss the pride radiating from the owners and customers who filled the line Wednesday morning. This store clearly means a great deal to the people who built it, support it, and rely on it.
While doing research for this article, I stumbled across something unrelated to the expansion but worthy of your attention. City Center Market has a drink called “The Fitzgerald.” When you see the screenshot of this drink from their video below, you’ll see why I’ve had it on repeat. It’s made with Freddo Espresso, whipped with ice and a touch of cane sugar, then poured over ice and milk. Frankly, this thing looks incredible. I haven’t tried it yet, but that’s going to change first thing in the morning.
City Center Market’s expansion is more than a remodel — it’s a celebration of community ownership, local investment, and the belief that healthy food and a welcoming space can genuinely improve quality of life. Cambridge showed up in force on Wednesday morning, and the enthusiasm made one thing clear: this is a major win for our community.
